#10 Invitational
2016 Cinch USTRC National Finals of Team
Roping
Thursday October 27 2016
Mike Woolven and Glenn Kelly
By Melinda Clements
What
is the old adage? When you’re hot you’re hot!! Hot was certainly the label attached to Mike Woolven and Glenn
Kelly. For a couple of days the
pair had been on fire. However, it
seemed as the saying goes, “Always the bridesmaid, but never the bride!”
That
scenario changed in a heartbeat.
Woolven and Kelly were the high team coming back in the short go round
of the #10 Invitational. The pair
had fresh on their minds being the high team back in the #10 Gold Plus Shoot
Out the evening before where they ended up in second place. They had been here and they had done
that but this time they wanted to finish at the top of the leader board. The
pair was wired to fire and they wanted the win. Maybe they had a little more
motivation or a little something more to prove.
“We
really didn’t change anything,” Kelly commented. “We just kept roping like we had been roping. I guess the playing field changed but,
from our point of view, we didn’t make any changes.”
Jason
Obrien and Scott Clark made a good run.
They were 8.23 on their short round steer to take the lead from the
ninth high team of Jason Heath and Joe Macoubrie. The roping would pay the
eight top teams and Woolven and Kelly were comfortable with making a good
solid, mistake free run. They had
to be 10.38 to move Obrien and Clark.
It was a good solid “doable” practice run and there were no nerves
involved.
“I
don’t really struggle with roping,” Woolven said. “I don’t really think or
plan. I just rope. We didn’t change anything from last night going into this
roping today.
Kelly
commented that if he struggled with anything it was being really careful to not
catch before his header catches. “I get a little anxious to say the least,” he laughed.
Woolven agreed.
When
Woolven nodded for the steer it was almost dejavu! The pair knew what they
wanted and how to get it. When the
clock stopped it read 8.69. The pair left the arena and the large weight on
their shoulders evaporated. It was
finally, a done deal.
“Winning
a roping like this is a possibility for everyone with a lot of hard work and
practice,” Kelly explained. “We just go rope. You know, my heart is full. I’m blessed. We were the high team back two times in a
row. That makes my heart full and
I am blessed.”
“It
takes a lot of heart, a lot of practice and a lot of support,” Woolven
concluded. “You learn to work hard, practice hard and do what you need to
do. I’m proud of these saddles. I
think we will ride them. It is the first USTRC Finals Saddles for both of us. I
have access to a lot of good horses and I guess that makes them all
winners. Without a doubt, I’ll use
my saddle.”
Kelly
grinned, “Yep, you bet I’m riding this saddle.”
